


Safe and Sound Back Home in Greece

by daviderl



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-23
Updated: 2013-08-23
Packaged: 2017-12-24 11:03:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/939221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daviderl/pseuds/daviderl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "Xena: Roman Gladiator"</p><p>Xena and Gabrielle have to find a way back to Greece without being recaptured by Roman soldiers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Going Home

**Author's Note:**

> Previously, Xena: Roman Gladiator:  
> Xena and Gabrielle were captured and taken to the ludus at the House of Batiatus in Capua where Gabrielle was made into a house slave and Xena was forced to train and to fight in the arena as a gladiator.  
> Batiatus' wife, Lucretia, fearful of her husband trying to gain favor with an increasingly unpopular Caesar by letting him know Xena was at their ludus, arranged for her and Gabrielle's escape in the middle of the night

**Safe and Sound Back Home in Greece**

**  
Chapter One**

**Going Home**

Dawn hadn't quite broken, there was barely enough light to see through the cold, wet fog as Xena and Gabrielle entered the outskirts of Napoli. They both kept an eye out for anyone who might be watching for them. But there was no one up yet;  it was too easy to stay inside where it was warm and dry.

  
Despite her plan for her and Gabrielle to travel at night and to hide and rest during the day, Xena had to abandon it. The second day away from the ludus, the late autumn weather took a turn for the worst. Heavy clouds moved in, bringing with them cold and rain, often accompanied with sleet, and it was impossible to travel at night with no moon to see by. So they spent the cold nights huddled together, lying on the horse's blanket, covered with the slave tunics and the blanket their clothes and weapons had been wrapped in. They dared not make a fire, worried those searching for them would smell the smoke or see the light from the flames.

After a couple of days the cheese and dried meat ran out, and even though she hated doing it, Xena used her Chakram to kill a couple of rabbits. And despite her better judgment, Xena did build a small fire, just big enough to roast the rabbits, then put it out right away. And she hated being so paranoid. She knew if soldiers found them they could probably kill some of them and escape, but after being held as a slaves, she just wanted them to get out of Italia with as little trouble as possible.

By day they rode double, both using the tunics as wraps around their shoulders, and then with the blanket around both of them. The going was slower than Xena would have liked, but at the same time, she realized that the longer it took to get to Napoli, the less likely it would be that the soldiers searching for them would still be there.

  
Xena was somewhat familiar with the city, so she knew of a stable was where she could sell the horse and saddle, and that the blacksmith kept to his own and didn't ask uncomfortable questions. Selling the horse and saddle was necessary to have the money to book passage back to Greece. But once there, they had to wait until the sun had risen enough to give enough light for the blacksmith to finally open the doors for business.

Like all horse traders, he offered them a price less than half of what the horse and saddle were worth. But eventually they came to an agreeable price – enough for both the fare and for a hot meal at a local tavern until the tide turned just before mid-day. Xena wanted to wait until the last possible moment to pay for the journey and to board the ship, just in case word they were there reached the wrong ears.

Even though they provided a bit more warmth, Xena decided it would be better if she and Gabrielle weren't seen with slave tunics, so she threw them into the smithy's fire, and cut the blanket in two to be used as shawls for the both of them.

The tavern the smithy directed them to was near the docks. Even though the weather was cold and damp, activity was high. Ships had to be loaded and ready to leave at the outgoing tide. The tavern was half empty except for the ship's captains, fortifying themselves with wine and ale, leaving the loading details to their first mates and crews. The wares to be traded had been agreed upon days before, but those who wanted to travel from Napoli usually waited until the day before, or the day of,  the ships leaving before booking passage. So the ships' captains were also negotiating with prospective passengers over what each thought was a fair, or unfair, rate.

After finding a table and ordering stew, Xena began looking, and listening, for just the right captain to approach. She wanted one with a Greek accent. She didn't trust Roman ship captains. She knew their loyalty was to Rome, and most likely they had been told to look out for her and Gabrielle. But a Greek ship captain and crew held no love for Italia. They were only here because the trading was profitable.

But there was just one potential problem. Xena remembered that the young Greek gladiator in the House of Batiatus told her he was there because a Roman warship had accused the Greek trading ship he and his brothers were on of piracy and they were captured and sold into slavery. It wasn't something she wanted to worry Gabrielle with, but she should have remembered that Gabrielle was very good at reading her, and she knew there was some something on Xena's mind.

"You can sit there and pretend there isn't something you're concerned about," Gabrielle told her. "But I know it's more than just looking out for soldiers or informants. So you might as well tell me."

Xena smiled at her and shook her head. "You still amaze me."

Gabrielle smiled back at her. "Yes, I know. And I also know you're not going to change the subject with your slippery tongue."

"There's only one place I'd like to put my slippery tongue; well, two places."

"My thoughts exactly. Now – what ELSE is on your mind?"

"I was thinking about a young Greek gladiator in the ludus. He said he and his brothers were on a Greek trading ship when a Roman warship stopped them, accused them of piracy, and took the ship's cargo and sold the men as slaves. I'm not so sure how safe the journey will be with Roman warships stopping Greek trading ships."

"But why? I thought there was peace between us."

"It has to be Caesar. I guess since he's not out leading an army and bringing back the spoils of war, he's using warships to plunder honest traders to fill his treasury."

"So we just take our chances?"

"Looks like we'll have to. And it looks like I've found our captain. He's back in that corner behind you."

Gabrielle turned to look where Xena had said, and her mouth fell open. "Don't tell me that's Salmoneus!"

Xena chuckled. "No, it's not him. But he could pass for his older, scruffier brother. If he had a brother. But come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard him talk about his family."

"You're right. Neither have I."

"Well, time to do some bargaining."

Xena left their table and walked over and sat down. Gabrielle turned so she could watch them, but couldn't hear what was being said. After some low, mumbling talk, the captain looked over at Gabrielle, who raised her hand in a half wave with a weak smile. She could see heads shaking, then nodding, then shaking again. Then the captain reached out and felt Xena's upper arm, and Gabrielle could tell she had tightened her muscles. The captain nodded, looked over at Gabrielle as he asked Xena something. Gabrielle gave him another half-smile and wave. He then said something else to Xena, she nodded, then they clasped forearms, and Xena got up from that table and came back to Gabrielle, who found it curious that Xena didn't give him any money.

"What was that all about?" Gabrielle asked.

"Well, we do have a way back to Greece, but there's a bit of a snag. Remember about the Roman ships stopping Greek ones? Well, it seems it is happening more and more, and Santilla, the ship's captain, has lost most of his men. They're afraid to travel on Greek ships. So, instead of us paying for passage with coin, we're joining what's left of his crew and working our way home."

"Xena, I've never worked on a sailing ship. I would have no idea what to do."

"That's what the First Mate is for. He tells the men what to do. And anything you don't know, you ask, or watch what the others are doing. It's not easy, especially for those not used to the life, but we're both strong and are used to harsh conditions. And it will only be for 20 – 25 days."

"Well, I suppose it's better than not going at all."

"Exactly! So now we go shopping."

"Shopping? For what?"

"Warmer clothes. Santilla said to use the money I was going to pay him to buy coats and leggings. The weather is getting colder, and the sea wind will make it seem even worse than it is. But we have to hurry. The tide turns just before noon, and we have to be on board."

Keeping a wary eye, Xena and Gabrielle backtracked to the market place, now bustling since the fog had dissipated and the sun was beginning to break through the clouds. After some haggling Xena bought woolen coats and deerskin leggings for both of them. While she was making the purchases, Gabrielle was suspicious of anyone who gave them more than a cursory glance.

"Relax, will you?" Xena said. "Of course we're going to be stared at – we're beautiful women; well, one of us is, anyway."

"And I just wonder who that might be – the tall, leggy, raven-haired, blue-eyed warrior?"

"Maybe. Or maybe the one with the rare and eye-catching blond hair, mesmerizing green eyes, delicious smile, and perfect body."

After the shopping trip, Xena and Gabrielle made their way back to the wharf, and despite her previous flippant remarks, Xena was a vigilant as Gabrielle was, watching for any suspicious looks or actions.

They arrived at the dock where the Santilla's ship, the Poseidon (so named to honor the God of the Sea) was berthed, just before she was to sail. The cargo consisted of amphorae of olive oil and wine, nestled safely among bales of wool secured down in the hold. The six remaining sailors of the crew were just finishing up stowing away the food, water and wine for their consumption during the journey.

And after introductions, and brief instructions to Xena and Gabrielle about setting the one square sail, the ship eased away from the dock, along with a handful of others, and headed out from Napoli into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Then heading south, their journey would take them to the narrow strait between the mainland of Italia on the east, and the island to the west where the city of  Messina was located.

After a day or two of trading and restocking supplies in Messina, they would continue south until they reached the open waters of the Ionian Sea. They would then turn northeast until they arrived home at the port city of Prevaza.

Or that was the plan.


	2. At Sea

**Chapter Two**

**At Sea**

It didn't take long for Gabrielle to learn several important lessons about working on a sailing ship. The first was to wrap her hands from wrist to fingertips with strips of canvas. The hemp ropes used for everything was so rough that blisters would form, then quickly rupture, and soon her palms and fingers would be bloody and raw.

The second thing she learned was that the muscles that served her well while on the road, and occasionally while battling thugs and warlords, were not the ones used for pulling on ropes that raised and lowered the sails. She had never experienced such a persistent aching in her back, shoulders and arms.

She also learned that wooden sailing ships were not watertight, and that bailing water from the bilge of the vessel was a constant chore. That, and the need to keep applying and reapplying the black, sticky, oily and foul-smelling goo to the places where water seemed to want to leak through.

And that even though the cold wind on deck cut through her coat and leggings, below deck, below the water line, was almost as cold. But whenever she considered the alternative – staying in Italia with the risk of recapture and slavery, she did the work assigned to her without complaining.

The only real irritation she felt was that Xena rarely worked with her and the crew. She spent most of her time conferring with the captain, either on deck looking out over the water, or in his cabin. And if he hadn't been so grizzled and unattractive, and if she wasn't so confident in Xena's loyalty to her, Gabrielle would have thought there was something going on between them.

But the winds were fair and they seemed to be making good time. More than once Captain Santilla told them that they were ahead of schedule, and with luck, they would be in Messina a day or two sooner than planned. But as dawn broke on their fourth day at sea, in the distance another ship was spotted, and it seemed to be heading directly toward them.

"Any idea who it might be?" Xena asked, deferring to Santilla's experience.

"Hard to say from this distance. She's a big ship, twice the size of the Poseidon. If I were to guess, I'd say one of the smaller, faster Roman warships. But until she draws nearer…."

They continued to watch, and as the ship gradually got closer to them and details were easier to see, Captain Santilla began to worry.

"She's a fast ship, no doubt. Her speed is at least twice of ours. And the red sail – Roman for sure."

"So we can't outrun it?"

"No. I'm not sure what we can do. Just hope when they board us they will look around, decide we aren't smugglers, and let us go."

"You don't have papers, bills of lading, manifests?"

"I do, but if they decide they are forgeries…. Well, I guess we fight and die, or are sold into slavery."

"No!" Xena declared. "That will never happen."

"What can we do? You have a plan?"

"Maybe."

As they watched the Roman ship get closer, many of the crew began to pray to Poseidon to save them; Xena only shook her head.

When the ship was close enough that soldiers on board could be seen, ready to board the Poseidon, Xena shucked off her coat and handed it to Gabrielle.

"Clear a path," she said to the men. And as they spread out, leaving a clear path between Xena and the approaching ship, Xena took her Chakram from its clip, eyed the ship, then ran forward five steps and launched the weapon so hard she spun in a complete circle at its release. And even though it seemed to disappear, the loud singing of it could be heard.

"What…?" Santilla started to say.

"Wait for it," Gabrielle said, a smile on her face.

At first there was nothing but the faint singing of the Chakram, then they saw the sail of the Roman ship began to fall – the ropes holding it had been cut. Then the singing got louder as the disk returned to Xena, and when she caught it, she spun around in another circle, and at the same time replaced it on its clip. And as the Poseidon pulled away from the Roman ship a cheer went up from the crew.

"Back to the ropes," Santilla yelled to them. "They still have oars!"

For once, Gabrielle stayed with Xena and Santilla, feeling her place was next to her.

"Never have I seen such a weapon used so wonderfully," Santilla said to Xena. "How can you throw it so far, have it return to you, and catch it without cutting your fingers off?"

Xena smiled at Gabrielle. "Shall I, or do you want to?"

"She has many skills," Gabrielle said to Santilla. "But I have to admit, I've never seen her throw the Chakram so hard and so far."

"So, will they be able to catch us now?" Xena asked.

"It's still possible. I only see one bank of oars, but there are at least twenty oars to pull. And they will be able to come directly at us, while we will have to zig zag to catch the best wind. It will take them a while, but eventually they will."

"They have that many slaves onboard?" Gabrielle asked.

"No slaves on a warship," Xena told her. "They will be using soldiers. It's too risky to have slaves, they might take advantage during a battle and turn on the Romans."

"So what happens when they get close enough to board us?"

"I'll think of something," Xena replied. "I always do."

As the day passed, the crew of the Poseidon worked the ropes, moving the sail to best capture the wind, while Santilla manned the steering oar to help turn the ship. And despite the cold, everyone was drenched with sweat, including Xena, who knew being short more than half the crew was causing the rest of them to do double the work. But despite their best efforts, the Roman warship was steadily gaining on them, and before the sun set the Poseidon would be within range of the archers, who would fire arrows with burning tips into the sail.

"Any ideas?" Gabrielle asked during the brief rest before the sail had to be readjusted.

"Still thinking."

Gabrielle nodded. "So, just how many soldiers do you think we'll be fighting when they catch up to us?"

"Twenty. Thirty, maybe. Too many for this small crew and the limited weapons to battle."

"Xena, I want you to know right now – I will NOT go back into slavery. I will fight to the death before I let them capture me."

"I understand. But what if it comes down to the others being captured, or dying because we refuse to surrender?"

"I can't think about the others. I'm sorry, but I can't. And I know that somehow, in some twisted way, that goes against the whole Greater Good philosophy, but … I can't. I just cannot – will not, be a slave again."

Xena put her arms around Gabrielle, whose arms went around Xena's waist, her head against her breast. But nothing was said.

 

"They're gaining on us faster than I thought," Santilla commented, hoping Xena had come up with some defense.

"So I see."

"Any thoughts on we can do to slow them down some?"

"Only one thing I can think of. Let them get close enough that they are just out of arrow range, and try to get from in front of them. We need to be to one side or the other."

When the Poseidon was where she needed to be, Xena once again took a running start to launch her Chakram, but this time she put a slight spin on it with her wrist, and as it sung its way toward the Roman ship, it slowly was rotating from horizontal to vertical in a slow circle. And as it got close enough to the ship it was vertical, and one by one, sliced into the first four or five oars on the port side of the ship.  

"You didn't cut them off," Santilla said.

"Didn't need to," Xena answered. And as they watched the next pull on the oars, the stress broke off the paddle ends of the oars. And as previously, Xena snagged the Chakram out of the air.

"You never miss?" he asked.

"Nope. It goes where I want it to, and then comes right back to me."

"It will take them time to move the good oars to balance the broken ones," Santilla said. "By the time they do, hopefully it will be too dark for them to see us."

And as he predicted, by sunset, the Roman ship was barely seen in the fading dusk, and the Poseidon was almost as invisible.

While Xena kept an eye out from the stern, Santilla sought out Gabrielle. "That Xena is one amazing woman," he said.

"No argument here."

"That weapon she has – the Chakram, where did she get it?"

"It's funny, but she's never talked about that. But over the years, from the few things she's said, I'm pretty sure she got it from Ares."

"The god of war? HE gave it to her?"

"I believe so. There was a time when she was his number one warlord, and I think he gave it to her as either a reward for doing such a good job, or as an incentive to keep on making war on just about everyone."

"She was given a weapon from a god?"

"Yep. Now I can't say for sure, but I think it's a good bet that it was forged by Hephaestus himself."

"The maker of the weapons of the gods?"

"The very same."

"But she handles it so - devastatingly. I don't understand how a mortal can control a weapon of the gods."

"That is a puzzle. Personally, I think her father may BE one of the gods. I mean, look at her arms: they aren't that much larger than mine, but she has the strength of men twice … three times her size. And she leaps almost as if she can fly! You have NO idea of the things I've seen her do."

"But who? Do you know who her father is?"

"Again, I'm only speculating, but my dinars are on Hades."

"Someone praying to Hades?" Xena asked as she joined them. "Hoping to avoid Tartarus?"

"Just talking," Gabrielle said. "So what about the Roman ship?"

"They can't see us so long as no one lights a fire. But as long as they keep their cooking fires on deck, we can see them." Then turning to the captain she said, "Santilla, you need to stop your men from adjusting the sail. We need to go with the wind as fast as it will take us."

"But that means we will be going west rather than south to the strait, and to Messina. We will have to go completely around the big island to get into the Ionian Sea."

"Then that's what we'll do. We need to stay completely out of sight from them. You know we can't fight them. All we can do is stay ahead, and hope they won't know where we went. I know it will take us longer to get to Prevaza, but that's the way it is."

"But what of our provisions? I was counting on stopping there to restock...."

"Then we'll have to stop at some other fishing village!" By now Xena was getting irritated with Santilla's protestations.

"You might as well do as she says," Gabrielle said as Xena left them to return to the stern. "I learned a long time ago that when she makes up her mind about something, it's usually for the best. And do you REALLY want to cross her?"

After a few moments, Santilla yelled out to the crew, "Full sail, straight ahead!"

 


	3. Lost in the Fog

**Chapter Three**

**Lost In The Fog**

Xena kept watch at the stern of the ship until sight of the cooking fires on the Roman ship was lost in the distance and shrouded from the sea fog that formed. A common occurrence this time of year when the air temperature was so much colder than the water vapor that evaporated from the warmer sea.

"It looks like we're safe for now," Xena said to Santilla and Gabrielle. "There's no way they can find us tonight."

"But what about tomorrow?" Gabrielle asked. "They still have oars, and we don't."

"It will depend on this fog," Santilla said. "It's getting thicker much faster than it should. I suspect it will be with us most if not all of the day. I don't like it."

"Why?" Gabrielle asked again. "If they can see us we shouldn't be in any danger."

"True. But I'm not familiar with this part of the sea. I was counting on following the coast of the island until we reached the Ionian Sea. Sailing so far from sight of land is like traveling with a blindfold over your eyes – you have no way of knowing where you are going, or how to reach your destination."

"But you know where the sun rises; that's east. That makes south to your right, then we sail with the sun to our backs until it is overhead, then we follow it and go west, and south is on the left side."

Santilla laughed out loud, then said to Xena, "Your companion knows east from west and north from south – very useful when you are on the land." Then to Gabrielle he said, "But what if the sun rises and it is so foggy you cannot even see the bright spot that is the sun?  Which way will you travel then?"

Gabrielle opened her mouth to answer, then discovered she didn't have one. "I don't know," she replied, obviously a little embarrassed. She then looked to Xena. "And I suppose this isn't anything new to you."

"No. Back when I was with Borias, we traveled by ship quite a bit."

"Hmm. Well, I guess there's work to be done." And Gabrielle went to join the crew.

"She's a smart girl," Santilla said. "She catches on fast."

"Yes she does. But don't let her hear you call her a girl. She does have a temper, and can be kind of touchy sometimes."

 

The day passed slowly as the unseen sun brightened the fog to a gloomy gray-white -- a thick cold fog, heavy and wet, causing drops to fall from the rigging in a steady rain. The only good was that there was no wind to push the ship even farther off-course. But still they drifted with the tide and natural movement of the sea.

With no real work to do other than to bail water from the bilge, and to daub and re-daub those troublesome leaks, the crew more and more turned to the ever diminishing stores of wine.

"I'm beginning to think the supplies Captain Santilla was so worried about getting from Messina was more wine," Gabrielle commented as she and Xena sat together for warmth – Gabrielle wrapped in Xena's arms, leaning against her breast.

"You're probably right. We do have a supply of fresh fish all around us, so we won't starve. But I am beginning to worry about water."

"But what about the barrels of water below? Won't that be enough?"

"It should last, but you never know. "

 

"Is it my imagination, or is it getting darker?" Gabrielle asked.

"It's not your imagination. This has been a long day. I'm almost glad it's over. Maybe by tomorrow the fog will be gone."

"What if it isn't?"

"Then we will spend tomorrow as we did today."

The day slowly turned to night, and Santilla felt it was safe enough to light fires for cooking and for warmth, but only on deck. Everyone appreciated the hot food, and plied with wine, spirits were high. Singing and laughter were heard for the first time since the Roman warship began its pursuit. Eventually the crew went below deck to sleep. But not all of them only to sleep. Muted grunts and panting could be heard as some of them paired off.

Xena and Gabrielle were back to their favorite position – Gabrielle in Xena's arms, both wrapped in a blanket, listening to the waves lapping the sides of the ship, and to the noises coming from below.

"Xena, there's something I need you to know," Gabrielle said somberly as the night deepened, the cold air grew colder, and Xena held her tighter.

"I'm listening."

"It's – something that happened, back there."

"You don't have to tell me anything, you know. Whatever happened is past."

"I know. But – I want to; have to, for some reason."

"Okay."

Gabrielle took several breaths, trying to find the words she wanted to say, and finding it disconcerting that she was having so much trouble saying what she needed to.

"It – something happened – in Domina's bed chamber. She sent for me, and had me strip."

Gabrielle then hesitated so long that Xena thought she had changed her mind, but then she  continued. "Domina has a very strong sexual appetite. And she – she held my face to her crotch, forcing me to service her until she was satisfied. She held me so tightly I almost passed out from lack of air."

Xena waited, knowing when Gabrielle wanted a response, and when she didn't.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this now. I guess maybe because of what's going on below."

Again Gabrielle hesitated, and when she spoke, her voice was thick with emotion. "Xena, I have to ask you something. And I know in my heart what the answer is, but – I still have to ask."

"You know you can ask me anything."

"When you were with the gladiators – all those men, did you ever…did anything – happen?"

Unseen to Gabrielle, Xena clinched her eyes shut, stemming the tears that were trying to fall, then she said, "I had – offers. When I first joined them, Doctore told them I was not there for their pleasure. And I set a few of them in their places."

Xena took a ragged breath, hoping it wouldn't betray her. "But, no," she lied. "Nothing ever happened you need to worry about. I love you, and only you. I would never – never betray your trust in me."

Xena felt Gabrielle sigh as she pulled Xena's arms even tighter around her. As she did, Xena felt the tears fall from her eyes. And she was ready to lie again if necessary, to tell Gabrielle they were tears of love, and not tears of deceit.

 

The next morning was a copy of the previous day – cold, wet fog with no sight of the sun in the sky. As they awoke and came on deck, the men were grumbling and obviously suffering the effects of too much wine the day and night before.

"They are suffering now," Santilla was telling Xena and Gabrielle, smiling at their troubles. "Not only have they drunk most of the wine, but the wood for the cooking fires was all but burned up last night. Unfortunately, the dehydration they are experiencing is depleting the water in the barrels more quickly than I'd like."

"Not much I can do about the water," Xena told him. "But even without the cooking fire we can still eat. They caught more than enough fish yesterday."

"Xena," Gabrielle interrupted, "I know you're not talking about eating raw fish!"

"Why not? When Borias and I were sailing between Chin and Japa, I discovered some of them ate raw fish. It's not as bad as you might think. When it's fresh it has almost no taste. But the oddest thing was that instead of their fingers or the point of a knife, they used two slender pieces of wood to eat with. They called them chops."

"Do you know how to prepare the raw fish?" Santilla asked.

"Sure. I'll just need the fish, someplace to gut and fillet them, and a good sharp knife."

By the time Xena had enough of the sea bass ready to eat, most of the men had gotten over the morning hangovers and were hungry enough to try the raw fish, providing Xena, Gabrielle and Santilla did so first.

Xena carved several pairs of chops in case anyone wanted to try them. With ease, she popped several pieces into her mouth using them. Gabrielle didn't too bad with them; she only dropped the first two pieces. Santilla dropped three, then decided his fingers worked well enough.

Slowly the rest of the crew tasted, then ate the uncooked sea bass, ignoring the chops in favor of their fingers. About half of them were pleasantly surprised, while the others hated the taste and texture. But they mostly ate their fill. And afterwards, at Santilla's insistence, they all gave prayers of thanks to Poseidon for providing them food from his bountiful sea.

And as if their prayers were accepted, the sun brightened in the sky, the fog began to burn off, and an easterly breeze began to blow. A cheer went up from the crew and they all quickly manned the ropes to raise the sail as Santilla steered the ship with the massive oar at the stern. Slowly the ship began to move south/southwest, and by midday, the coast could be seen in the distance, south of their position where it needed to be. And as Santilla kept the ship on-course, Xena scanned the horizon in all directions, on the lookout for the red sail that indicated a Roman warship, or any ship that might be near.

"Xena," Gabrielle said as she rested from manning the ropes. "Do you really think Poseidon answered their prayers?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm kind of skeptical. I mean, after everything we've gone through with Ares, Zeus, Hades, even Aphrodite, I find it hard to believe Poseidon would care one way or another about a ship lost in the fog.

"Well, as long as our superstitious shipmates believe it, what difference does it make?"

"None, I suppose. But sometimes – oh, never mind."

"Oh, no. You can't just start to say to something, then say never mind."

"It's just that – sometimes  I wish they did care about us, as humans, and not just as toys to be, well toyed with, then discarded like so much garbage."

"That would be nice, maybe. But except for Ares, who is always looking for that next incredible warlord, I doubt if they even care enough to toy with us."

As they talked, Xena couldn't help but notice they were drawing closer to land, uncomfortably so in her opinion, and directly toward a small fishing village.

"Captain Santilla!" she yelled out, always careful to use his title when the crew could hear. "Why are we heading to land?"

"We need water, and fresh food, and wine. I'm hoping we can trade for the fish we still have."

"Trading fish to a fishing village?" Gabrielle said to Xena. "Isn't that like trying to sell a horse to a centaur?"

Xena chuckled. "It is. But he's right, we do need supplies."

"But?"

"But? But what?"

"You tell me. I know that look on your face – there's something bothering you."

"I'm just wondering where all the fishing boats are. It's been too foggy to put out to sea, but I don't see any tied to the docks. So – where are they?"


	4. East to West, Then Back Again

 

**Chapter Four**

**East to West, Then Back Again**

As the Poseidon drew closer to the docks, everyone was looking for something different. Captain Santilla was looking for the marketplace to hopefully trade their load of sea bass for the needed supplies. The men were looking for, hopefully, friendly young ladies to share the wine, and other pleasures. Gabrielle was looking for solid ground (she never fully got her sea legs, and seasickness was always just a pitch of the boat away). And Xena was looking for trouble, which always seemed to come all too often.

Except for Gabrielle, they all were disappointed.

"Where is everyone?" Gabrielle asked as the Poseidon pulled alongside the least damaged dock. "The village looks deserted."

"Right now, there's no telling," Xena answered. "But whatever the reason, we need to be careful. There are signs of neglect, but no real damage as if there was a battle."

"I'm thinking some sort of plague," Santilla theorized. "Killed everybody, down to the last man, woman, child and slave."

"So where are the bodies?" Gabrielle asked. "They should be everywhere."

"Maybe the last to die buried their kin, and when they died, the wolves or other predators dragged the bodies off," he replied. 

"Xena, what do you think?" Gabrielle asked.

"Could be disease. We'll know better after we've look things over. So, Captain Santilla, you need to tell your men to be careful of what they touch while they are looking for whatever is left that we can use. I'll go first, and have them follow when I give the signal."

Both Xena and Gabrielle stepped off onto the shaky dock and slowly approached the first buildings – the taverns.

"Left or right?"

"I'll go right," Gabrielle replied, and they separated, each drawing their weapons.

Both women found mostly the same thing – dusty, overturned tables and chairs, broken and empty wine bottles, and little else. They met in the street.

"So how long ago do you think this town was abandoned?" Gabrielle asked.

"Half a year maybe. Let's see what the rest of the village looks like."

After some quick exploring, they returned to the docks.

"I didn't see any remains of funeral pyres, or new gravesites, so it doesn't look like there was any kind of plague, or attack," Xena told Santilla. "I did find the town's well, but we'll need a rope and bucket. Have your men go through all the buildings to see if there is anything we can use."

They rolled all the empty water barrels to the well, but after bringing up the first bucket of water, Xena knew why the town was empty.

"It's salt water," she said. "Either the sea has risen and fouled the well, or the land has sunk. Either way, it's obvious the people of this village had to move on. Gabrielle and I will explore farther inland. Maybe there's a stream somewhere not too far away. Be sure to have the men look for any cisterns, there may be some drinkable water left in them."

Well past midday Xena and Gabrielle returned to the village. The only thing of any real value the crew of the Poseidon found was wood for the cooking fires.

"We found a couple dried up stream beds," Xena told them. "We even dug down as deep as my arm would reach, but there is no moisture. The leaves are dying on the trees. This area has been in a drought for several years. That, and the sea water in the wells, has made this part of the island unlivable."

"What will we do for food?" one of the crew asked. "All we have is the fish, and they are beginning to spoil."

"Then tonight we will smoke all we have on board. We can't leave until tomorrow anyway," Xena said. "There are enough old water barrels around town we can use to trap the smoke. If we get started now, by morning we'll have all the food we need, for a while. There are plenty of dried oak limbs on the ground outside the village. I suggest gathering the smaller ones first."

By the time it was dark all the fish had been prepared and were being smoked in the dozen or so barrels they found. They had knocked the ends of out them, stacked them three high, and suspended the filleted fish by cords inside. The smoky embers would do their job by daybreak.

"Xena, I have made a decision," Santilla said after the men bedded down for the night. "We cannot continue to go west to navigate around this island. Even if there was a strong wind at our backs the entire way, it would still take 40 – 45 days. But if there is no water to be had, we will die of thirst in one fifth of that time. We have no choice but to go back east, back to Messina."

"But what about the Roman warships?" Gabrielle asked.

"We have to take the chance we won't be seen. And if we are, hopefully it will be after we get close enough that there will be so many other ships, they will leave us alone."

"Xena?"

"He's right, Gabrielle. We don't have a choice."

"What in Tartarus are you taking about? Of course we have a choice! Just don't let him take us back where the Roman ships are!"

"I know you're not talking about a mutiny!" Santilla said threateningly.

"No, she isn't," Xena replied quickly. "Not at all."

"Fine, then we'll go overland to the southern shore and then find a ship to take us the rest of the way to Greece!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "We can do it. We travelled across the desert after we rescued Sara from Gurkhan. We don't need him or his ship!"

"Gabrielle…."

"Xena, you KNOW what they do to runaway slaves! And even on the off chance they let us live, I told you before -- I WILL NOT go back to Batiatus, not after…."

And just before Gabrielle broke down, Xena took her into her arms, holding her close.

"Give us a moment," Xena said quietly to Santilla, who nodded then left to check on the fish.

Xena gave Gabrielle time to let the immediate trauma of whatever she was remembering to lessen, then she had Gabrielle look her in the eyes.

"Gabrielle, I can't help but feel like all of this is my fault. I should have protected you better, I know that. When we first started traveling together I swore to myself that I would never let anything happen to you, that I would never let you be hurt, but I've let you down so many times. And I know this is just one more example. And I can't help but believe that you think so, too. And I am so, so sorry. But – do you remember when you were shot with the poisoned arrow by that Persian spy? And we thought you were going to die?"

Gabrielle nodded.

"Who was it that held off the Persian army that was marching on Athens?"

"You did."

"So do you really think I'm going to let a few Roman ships stop us from going home?"

"I suppose not. But when we got captured I kept waiting for you to make your move – but you never did. You let them march us right into slavery."

"I know. But I kept waiting for the right time to escape without the risk of getting you killed, but it never seemed to come. I don't know, maybe I should have taken the chance, but I was so worried about your safety. But I promise you, the next time...."

"No, there won't be a next time. I know you're getting tired of hearing this, but I'll keep on saying it – I will die before I go back, even if it's by my own hand."

"You're right – there won't be a next time."

The next morning Santilla had his men load up the smoked fish and the miscellaneous odds and ends they had scrounged from the abandoned town, set sail, and steered the ship east, in the direction of Messina.


	5. Messina, and Home

**Chapter Five**

**Messina, and Home**

The day passed uneventful but still everyone was uneasy, they all were scanning the horizon looking for the tell-tale red-sailed ships of the Roman navy. But no ships were sighted until just before dusk, explained by the relieved Captain Santilla that they had been off the main trading routes. Luckily, the ship was not a Roman warship, but a Roman trading ship Santilla recognized as one that regularly travelled between Napoli and Messina.

The next morning more ships were sighted: some Greek, some Roman, and some from Egypt, returning home after delivering wheat needed to help feed the teeming Roman citizenry. All were funneling into the Strait of Messina, loaded down with goods to be traded in their home ports. But they all stopped at Messina for whatever reason – to restock before travelling on; to trade; to provide relief and respite for the crew; or to renew alliances with traders from other countries.

And there were the Roman warships, there to keep the peace and to ferret out "pirates and spies." But the Poseidon was able to pass through the strait and make its way to the docks of Messina unhindered.

"How long are we staying?" a nervous Gabrielle asked.

"Not long," Santilla replied. "A day, maybe two. I need to find sailors to fill out the crew. It's been too hard on them, as I'm sure you know."

"But what about being stopped, and boarded, and arrested as pirates?"

"The farther we get from Italia, the less we need to worry about.  Plus there will be other ships, so the odds are with us."

She still wasn't convinced there was nothing to worry about, and she only left the ship twice to eat a hot meal at a tavern, then returned to the Poseidon to stay below and out of sight.

By the morning of the second day Santilla had hired six sailors to replace the ones who had abandoned him in Napoli. There was not much of a tide in the strait, so leaving port was only a matter of waiting until the wind was right to travel north or south. At noon they cast off and the Poseidon was heading south into the Ionian Sea, and in two days they were able to turn almost due east, then slightly north, on course to Prevaza.

"Seven or eight more days," Santilla said. "and we'll be back home again."

"And not too soon to suit me," Gabrielle answered. "We seem to be making good time."

"That we are. The new men I hired pray to Poseidon at dusk and dawn. I believe he is listening to them, and is pleased."

Gabrielle shot a knowing look at Xena, suppressing a smile, but said, "You could be right."

x….x

Midafternoon of the seventh day the harbor of Prevaza came into view. And just before dark, the Poseidon was tied to one of the many docks and the crew was offloading the bales of wool and amphorae of wine and olive oil.

"Thank you," Xena told Captain Santilla as they left the ship.

"No, thank you. If it hadn't been for you and your weapon, we would be in a Roman prison somewhere, or worse."

"But you will still return to Italia."

"Aye. The profit is just too good," he replied with a grin. "You two take care, and who knows, maybe one day we'll be traveling together again."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Gabrielle said.

With a final farewell, both Xena and Gabrielle walked from the waterfront to find a room for the night. And after spending the rest of their money on supper and the room, they enjoyed each other's company throughout the night. The next morning they headed northeast, in the direction of Amphipolis.

"The air even smells better," Gabrielle was remarking as she continued her nonstop comparisons of the evils of Italia versus the delights of Greece.

"No argument from me," Xena agreed. Then she stopped and pulled her sword, as Gabrielle took the sias from their loops, ready to do battle. Then Xena seemed to relax slightly.

"Alright, show yourself," she said as she slowly turned in a circle. "I know you're there."

And with a silent, reddish flash of light, Ares appeared.

"Well, I see you're back," he said. "So, when you escaped, how many guards did you kill? Ten? Twenty?"

"What?" Xena asked.

"No matter. I have the PERFECT army for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Now that I've re-whetted your appetite for death and destruction, I know you can't wait to get started."

"Wait!" Xena interrupted. "Are you telling me you had something to do with us being slaves?"

"I must say you were magnificent. I knew you would have no trouble with the first two gladiators. But I really thought Gaulus would give you more of a challenge. He was my creation, you know. I guess I should have given him a bit more intelligence, just to make it more - entertaining. But really, how many guards did you kill? I know all about you and Caesar, and I knew when you thought you were going to Rome you would do anything not to go."

"If you must know, Domina freed us rather than have her husband allied with Caesar."

"YOU?" Gabrielle exclaimed. "YOU were the one responsible for us being captured into slavery?"

"So, what do you say, ready to lead your army?" Ares continued, ignoring Gabrielle.

And with both hands, Gabrielle threw her sais at Ares, who, with a wave of his hand, dropped them to the ground.

"Whoa, ho!" he said with a smarmy laugh, "It looks like someone has an anger problem."

In response, Xena drew her sword with both hands and threw it dead center at Ares' chest. But he caught it by the blade and tossed it aside. She then unclipped her Chakram, ready to throw it.

"You get out of here – NOW!" she demanded, teeth clinched. "I know this won't kill you, but I have a feeling it can hurt you more than anything you've felt in a long time! And just so you know – I will NEVER lead an army of yours!"

"Okay, I'll go. But I'll be back."

Xena looked over at Gabrielle, but was unable to read her. She saw rage, more rage than even at Gurkhan. But there was more, something undefinable. Her breathing was coming in gasps.

"Gabrielle," she said as she took her into her arms, trying to calm and console her. And as she did, Xena saw a subtle flash of light.

"Hey, you two."

"Aphrodite," Xena said. "This really isn't a good time."

"I know," she replied.  She then took Gabrielle from Xena's arms and held her close, and Gabrielle's arms went around her waist.

"You should know," Aphrodite said to Xena. "Ares didn't tell you everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you think it odd that you never tried to escape? He did something – to your mind. He made sure you didn't want to escape. He made you want to wait until the time was right, which, of course never came."

Gabrielle backed out of Aphrodite's embrace. "Are you saying you knew all about this, but did nothing?"

"I'm afraid you're right. But he threatened me."

"But what could he do? You're a god, and his sister."

"I know. There's nothing he could do to me personally, but he threatened to have his armies destroy all my temples, to kill half my worshippers, and to make the rest of them think I had abandoned them. Do you know what it's like to be a god, and not to be worshipped?"

"I don't know if I can accept that. I thought we were friends."

"I can't change what's been done," Aphrodite said, trying to make amends. "But I can lessen the pain of what you endured."

And without getting Gabrielle's okay, she took her fingers, and starting at her temples, ran them through Gabrielle's hair, a slight golden glow emanating from her fingers. And as Gabrielle's head rolled back and her eyes closed, Aphrodite said to Xena, "You might want to hold onto her."

The second time she ran  her fingers through her hair, Gabrielle began to collapse, but Xena was there to hold her up, then gently laid her down.

"What did you do to her?"

"I didn't mess with her mind, if that's what you're thinking; not much anyway. She will sleep until dawn. And when she awakens, those things she had to go through will be like a bad dream. One that fades away until the memory is barely there."

"I guess I should thank you. I don't know everything that happened to her, but I do know I wasn't there to protect her from it."

"It's the least I can do. Gabrielle is the only mortal I know who likes me for just being me."

"She's not the only one."

"Take care of her," Aphrodite said as she disappeared.

As dusk fell, Xena wrapped her arms around her soul mate to hold and protect her until the dawn. As she did, she realized she probably would never know what had so traumatized Gabrielle. And she decided she probably didn't want to  know – they were both safe and sound back home in Greece.

And that was all that mattered.

 

**The End**


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